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Patronus

Hi everyone! *waves*

I need to clear something up for this fic I'm writing.

Can a person's patronus be the same as someone elses? I know Harry's patronus was the same as his father's; a stag. But can a person who's not related to another have the same patronus? For example, Riley's patronus is a llama, and so is Camden's, but they are not related by blood.

Because there can't be so many animals that each witch and wizard could have their own unique one, right?

Please post your opinions, and some suggestions for patronuses would be nice.

Also, Dumbledore's patronus is a Pheonix. Do magical animal patronuses only come to powerful wizards? Then maybe Voldemort's patronus could be a basalisk? Or can magical come to anyone, based on their personality? (I want my OC to have a magical patronus, but I don't know if it's going to happen. This is where the suggestions come in )

Well first of all, I think Voldemort would never be able to conjure a Patronus because, quite honestly, the very nature that makes the spell work is beyond him. He underestimates love and happiness.

Second, do we actually know James' patronus was a stag? I believe Harry's was because of James' animagus form.

We know that Dolores Umbridge's patronus was a cat (I think I actually recall it being Persian-like). So was Minerva's (a tabby [also like her animagus form...hmmmnn]). So it is possible for two unrelated (as far as we know) wizards to have the same patronus. Also we know Ron's is not just a dog, but specifically a Jack Russell. I bet they take from of individual breeds of the animal as well.

As far as the magical creatures go, I have no idea. As far as we know from canon, only Dumbledore's patronus was a magical creature. So make what you will of that.

The Patronus is simply a manifestation of what each wizard's protector would be. Harry's happens to be a stag, since he subconsciously views his father as his best protector.

If two people have the same ideas when it comes to their protector, then they could have identical Patronuses, but highly unlikely. There would probably always be slight differences, unless both people are drawing on the same source. By that, I mean if, say, Harry had a brother who was also saved by James, then perhaps his brother would also have a stag Patronus.

Blood is not important when it comes to this, however; if two characters have very similar backgrounds or personalities, then sharing a Patronus is much more likely.

Also, Patroni (Patronuses?) can change when the protector changes, as it did with Tonks. Hers changed to a wolf, although Harry thought at first it was a bear-like dog, like Sirius' Animagus form.

I was going to mention this, but you got to it before me!

Knowing that Patronuses can change form, maybe Dumbledore's did too? Everyone's patronus seems to be an ordinary animal. But this could only be because it's the only thing they really know. There's not many magical animals out there, especially a magical animal that a wizard could really connect with. I would assume that Dumbledore's changed after some significant moment and he saw the Pheonix has a great protector. Fawkes could have been a great influence, and so could his family (his sister dying and etc.). So it could be plausible that your character has a magical animal as their Patronus, as long as there is some explaination as to why it's a magical animal and not an ordinary one like everyone elses.

It is possible that two wizards can have the same Patronus, as Love4Magic has stated. Can I just ask why it's a llama that is their patronus? It seems like a pretty random animal to me

Thanks for helping me out. My OC is supposed to have a sad past and suffers through her life (until she finds love, of course)- but not like Mary-Sue with special super powers or anything. But she is a very powerful witch since she has so much time on her hands...

So maybe my OC's patronus could be a pheonix... or unicorn, or something else. I was thinking that her patronus starts out as a pheonix and changes into something I'm not going to tell you about. Has any of you guys read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? There might be some creatures in there. Or maybe some ordinary animals like a dove, cougar, or elephant? (Help?)

TheCursedQuill: The example was just an example. Not part of my story Lol

And IF Voldemort could have a patronus, would it be a basilisk? A serpent of some sort, definitley.

Also, how big can a patronus get? Is it limited to the amount of power a wizard has?

Umbridge and McGonagall's Patronusus are not identical because one is a persian cat and one is a tabby. They are different breeds. I would think the only people who would share a Patronus would be identical twins like Fred and George or Padma and Parvati (but they were in different houses so not that identical)

The Patronus changing form is unusual, Lupin tells Harry it would be due to an emotional upheaval - I also think it more likely to happen to a Metamorphmagus because everything else of theirs can change.

Originally Posted by luinrina

Severus Snape had the same Patronus Lily Potter had - a doe

As far as Snape and Lily's Patronusus being identical. Snape's probably changed after she died as a tribute to her. I sincerely doubt that Snape would cast a Patronus whilst he was a Death Eater, and from what is staed in canon each Patronus is unique to the wizard who casts it..

Lily's Patronus is a doe because James' is a stag and, according to JK Rowling at The Albert Hall interview, that is because they were soulmates. *ahhhh, sweeeeet*

TheCursedQuill: The example was just an example. Not part of my story Lol

haha ohh ok. That makes more sense.

Also, how big can a patronus get? Is it limited to the amount of power a wizard has?

The largest known Patronus is the size of a giant. I forget the name of the guy who had this, but I don't think he was powerful or anything.

Has any of you guys read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? There might be some creatures in there.

There are SO many different creatures in that book! You can find a whole list and description of them on hp-encyclopedia.com. It really depends on who your character is/what she veiws as strong/how her personality is, so really I think that the only person who can choose her Patronus is you. I could spit out a list of random animals, but they would be nothing to your character.

Also, how big can a patronus get? Is it limited to the amount of power a wizard has?

Personally, I think the patronus is only as large as the animal it represents. If somebody had a blue whale for a patronus, I think it just might end up being the size of a whale. However, patronus size does not equal patronus strength, in my opinion. The strength is dependent on the willpower of the caster, and the size of the patronus is irrelevant.

Has any of you guys read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? There might be some creatures in there.

There are many magical animals listed in the books, but the only person in the series whose patronus is a magical creature is Dumbledore with his phoenix patronus. I'd be wary of giving OCs dragon, griffin, etc. patronuses, for such things should be reserved only for exceptionally powerful wizards.

Umbridge and McGonagall's Patronusus are not identical because one is a persian cat and one is a tabby. They are different breeds. I would think the only people who would share a Patronus would be identical twins like Fred and George or Padma and Parvati (but they were in different houses so not that identical)

I think more than one person can have the same breed of patronus. For example, two different people could have a black lab as their patronus. I think that the two patronuses would be different in that the people that cast them would be drawing from two different experiences. One might be thinking of their protective family dog Brutus, and the other might be thinking of their dear Aunt Wilhelmina's animagus form.

So, to sum up that confusing statement: people can have the same patronus down to breed, but they are unique to the person who cast them because they are inspired by different people/examples.

That said, I don't think twins would necessarily have the same patronus, even if they are identical and inseperable.